NOT A FOOD BLOG

If anyone was wondering after that very scary picture (above) that I posted a few weeks back, yes I went to the gym afterwards. I'm a big believer that a few times a year you just need to buy ALL the things that you're craving at once. And as luck would have it, it was also 2 for 1 crazy bread day at Little Caesars. The food Gods were smiling down on me! There could be no worse time to put on some spandex and move around, then when you just loaded up on crap, but I found a great way to motivate myself to get to the gym in the worst scenarios a) already home (didn't go to gym straight from work) b) it was late at night (about 9:30) and c) stuffed with food. I never go to the gym when these three obstacles are in my way. BUT lately I have been re-watching all the season of Gossip Girl on Netflix. Side note: now that I'm older I realize how ridiculous (but still good) that show is. In the real world nobody would still be friends with Blair Waldorf after all the crap she does! Anyway... I found a great thing today when you are kinda full and don't want to go to the gym. I brought my tablet and watched a whole episode of Gossip Girl while doing the elliptical (I really wanted to walk on the treadmill on a steep incline but there was no way to secure my tablet with that kind of angle). The hour flew by and I didn't feel like I was going to puke up my dinner. Win win.

Now on to food that won't make you feel like a ball of bloat. Seriously guys I've had so many Pinterest successes lately I had to share them. There are a few so I'm basically just posting a picture and a link. There is nothing I love more than when I actually make a recipe that exceeds my expectations! 

First up is the Paleo Chik-fil-A recipe. This was the real deal guys! And bonus, it's paleo. I normally won't touch chicken that's not breaded because I have the pallet of a 5 year old, but this was a-ma-zing. The secret is it's marinated in pickle juice, which gives it an awesome flavor. Don't be scared! I've heard from a fellow Chik-fil-A employee that that is REALLY what they marinate their chicken in! 

Next up is this Lemon Chicken Romano. Now this recipe is swimming in cheese and breadcrumbs so it may not be the healthiest but the lemon gives it a light feel and it's soooo good. I actually decided to do half regular bread crumbs and half italian (and then left out the spices) and I loved it. It's even great with pasta, or just smothered in pasta sauce. 

Sweet and Spicy Bacon Wrapped Meatballs: Had enough meat yet? Didn't think so. Here is the next recipe we tried. It's a great appetizer, but Spencer and I actually made it our meal. I just used plain meatballs from the freezer section and thawed them out before hand. 

Buffalo Popcorn Chicken: This baby doesn't need an intro. But I'll tell you now, mine didn't look as pretty as this picture, but it still tasted delicious. 

Crispy Zucchini Bites with Garlic Aioli Dip: I didn't know I liked zucchini until a couple of years ago when I starting finding all these delicious looking zucchini recipes on Pinterest (probably because my mom never made delicious vegetables, just gross ones). And yes, this zucchini is breaded, but would be just as good with just some olive oil and spices. The real MVP here is the ailoi. Holy moly aioli is this stuff bomb! 

Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes: Some may think that sounds weird, but Spencer's mom always makes him this delicious cake for his birthday with sour cream in it, and on Sunday I had just enough in my fridge for these. Seriously everytime I buy sour cream for something I never use it all and it goes bad, so now I have this deliciousness to make with it. They seriously melt in your mouth and taste similar to German pancakes. 

Last but not least, my new snack. I've never been big into popcorn (unless I'm at the movies and it's smothered in that fake butter and I have a large soda next to me). But Popcorn (in same cases) can be a nice low-calorie snack. I found this article with 14 recipes for flavored popcorn, and although some are definitely not health, my love for Frank's buffalo wing sauce made my try out the Buffalo Popcorn Recipe, and together with a diet soda, I took myself a nice bubble bath, put on House of Cards, and had the best snack EVER! You could probably make it a little lower in calories by not putting so much butter or honey but it's good! Mmmmm.